Portable electric light.



C. HUBERT.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT AP'PUCATIQN r1110 M11120. 1915.

Patented June 6, 1916.

an improved flash of ordinarv (try battery ICE;

CONRAD HUBERT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

Aoylication filed March 20, 1915.

ion is to produce apted to use a cell ch as is employed for ignition on a motor car as well as for many other purposes, and in this relation other objects of my invention are Simplicity of construction. inexpensiveness of mannifacture. i-lurabilitv certainty of operation and of mainteiianc in operable condition and other more particular objects and ad vantages which will hereinafter appear.

-ht at My invention includes features of con--' struction and combinations of parts as will appear from the following description.

I shall now describe the electric lantern illustrated in the accompanying drawings enibodyin; niv invention and shall thereafter point out my invention in claims.

t Figure l is a centrallongitudinal section of the lantern with parts in elevation. Fig.

- 2 is a transverse section, with parts broken awav. on a plane indicated by the line 2-"2 of Fix. 1 as seen from below and shows parts of the circuit controlling means in inverted.

plan. Fig. 3 is a transverse section with narts broken awav on a plane indicated bv the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 as seen from above and shows parts of the circuit controlling means in plan. Fig. l is a partial lOllgltllClliial section on lanes indicated by the bent as viewed from the left.

vention illustrated in the accoinpan vin drawings a batterv-containiug casing is .-inade up of 'a cviindrical cup or shelll zSliUWXi as closed at the iottomand as provided with a handle 2 and a removable cover gipart including a circumferential ring por "i tion 3 and a fiat end closure l.

The co er part comprising tie ring Jand cud closure is made of st itable thin metal and the .d-ricalkhg-ll. 1 ma)" also he WHllNTU-l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 191-6.

Serial No.-15,91. i

similar thin metal and that is tlie matei'ial indicated in the drawings. A flaring or bell shaned metal outer enu oart 5 is firmlv secured to the end closure 4: in conductive relation therewith. for example. b v means of a thin fiat rin or washer 6 and i'ivetsT. A usual lens 5 is carried b v a usual metal ring or band 9 shown as screw-threaded over the outer end of the flaring inetalend part :3.

-The lens 3 and its supporting band 9 hold a metallic reflector 10 in place on the flaring end part 5 in electrically conductive relation therewith. A metallic screw-threaded lamp socket 11 is centrally carried by the reflector id in electrically conductive relation therewith and projects inwardly therefrom in alinement with a central opening inthe end closure l. It will be noted that the lamp socket 11 is in clectricallv conductive connection with the end closurel and its circular flange An ordinarv miniature incandescent lamp 1; is shown as screwedinto the lamp socket 11 so that its central con tact terminal is exposed at the inside of the casing through the central aperture in the end closure l. and the other contact terminal of the lamp is in electricallv conductive relation with all of the metal casing parts through the lamp socket- 1].. The metal cas in; is adapted reinovablv to contain a batterv cell 13 having the. usual insulating, covering or jacket 1i which insulates the battery cell 1 5 fronrthe casing shell 1.'

An inner insulating plate or disk 15 and a similar outer insulating plate or disk 16 are secured together and to the fiat end closure l in an v suitable way. such as by means of tubular rivets l7. and the outer insulating plate 16 has a central. aperture or opening i'egistering with the central openinc in the end closure l. A smallmetal contact member lo passes snuglr through a sinall slot in the inner insulating plate 1-5 so that its opposite end. portions are exposed at' opposite sides of the inner insulating plate: 1 The outer end portion of the cont-act incinher ii is at'tlie center of the inner insulatin plate 15 opposite to or so as to be ouhvardlv exp sed through the registering openings in the outer insulating"plate-"H1 and end closure .l in ]\(l \lll(lll foi making contact with'thc central terminal of the lamp 1i and is shown as sllghtlv enlarged and of slightly rounded ordoiiie shape. The inner eiidportion of tincontact member l extcnds awav fromthe renter of the inner insulatingplate 13 in contact therewith and is shown as turned plate 15.

,A'thinmetallic switch lever 19 is pivoted within the casing at the inner side of'the .metal pivot '20 which extends through the inner insulating plate and is insulated fronrthe end closure 4 of the casing'by the outer insulating plate 16. The inner end of the switch lever 19 is movable into or out of contact with the contact'member 1S and has a wiping contact with such contact member with large cooperating contact Slll faces. The outer end of the circuit-closing switch lever 19 projects to the outside of the casing through a transverse slot 21 in the flange 3 of the removable electrically conductive upper casing part, providing for manual actuation-of the switch. lever 19. such actuation being facilitated by a small handle knob 22 carried by the outer end of the switch lever19 The switch lever 19 is electrically insulated from the metallic cas ing part through which it projects by means of an insulating strip 23 of greater width than the switch lever and held upon the upper or forward side of the switch lever by the pivot and the handle so as to pre- 'vent the top of the switch lever and also its 'edges from coming into contact with the metallic casing in any position ofthe switch lever 19, the projecting edges of the insulating strip 23 serving as stops for theswi'tch lever at the end of its movement in either direction. The other side of the switch lever 19 does not carry any insulation but is spaced away from the metal casing part 3 because of the extra width of the slot.21 as 40,

appears in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

A binding post 24 is carried by and projects downward or inward from the inner insulating plate 15 and extends upward or outward through this plate and at its upper end is insulated from the, end closure 4 by the outer insulating plate 16. A thin metal strip 25 is held by and connects the upper endsof the binding post 24 and the-switch lever pivot 20 between the insulating plates 15 and'16. Axsecond binding :post '26 iscarried by the end closure 4 of the casing and projects to theinside'of the casing through registering apertures in the insulating plates 15 and 16 as most clearlylappears in F g 1. At the inner side of the inner insulating plate 16 an'insulating cover strip or plate 27 is held in place by the binding posts 24 and 26 and covers the inner contact-making end of the circuit-closing switch lever 19 and the inner endof the lamp-connected contact member 18 .so' as to protect thesecovered parts, and also the cover strip 27 assures a close Wiping contact relation between the switch lever 19 and the contact'member 18 of the factthat the inner end por-,

scribed within the 1 tion of the thin switch lever 19 willwedge between the contact member 18 and the cover strip 29. The insulating plates 15 and 16. the cover strip 2] and the switch insulating strip 23 may be composed of any suit- 'inner insulating plate 15 upon a tubular able insulating material, for example, vulcanized fiber.

The binding post '24 carried by the inner ductive connector 29, and the binding post 26 carried' by the metal end closure 4 is similarly connected. to the other battery terminal-30 by means of a similar flexible connector 31. In the closed circuit position of the switch lever 19 the flexible connector 29 completes a path of good electrical conductivity between the central terminal of the lamp 12 and the central terminal '28 of the battery cell 13 and the other flexible connector 31 permanently completes a similar path of good electrical conductivity between the other lamp terminal and the remaining terminal 30 of the battery cell'13. .The length and flexibility of the connectors 2.9 and 31 obviate the necessity of providing for an exact position of the battery cell 13 relatively to the circuit controlling parts carried by the upper removable casing part. The skirt or flange 3 of this upper casing part fits snugly with a friction fit over the upper end of the shell 1 and may be placed thereon with the switch lever 19 in a convenient position for actuation while the hand grasps the handle loop 14, for example, as most clearly appears in Fig 3, with to the left of the handle 14 within cenvenient reach of the thumb of the handitvhich grasps the handle 14. In the drawings, and as clearly appears in Figs. 52 and 3, the open circuit condition of the lantern is illustrated- To close the circuit the outer end of the switch lever 19 would be moved in a clockwise directionaway from thehandle 14 as seen in Fig 3 and in a counter-clockwise direction as seen in the inverted position of Fig. 2. 4

It is obvious that various modifications maybe made in the construction shown in the-drawings and above particularly deprinciple and scope of my invention. r

I claim: 3 r

1. A portable electric light comprising-a batterycontaining casing havin an electrically conductive casing part including a substantially flat end closure, inner and outer insulating plates secured at the inside of the end closure, communicating openings 7 being provided in the end-closure and adsaid openings toward the inside of the easing, a contact member passing through the inner insulating plate for making contact with the central lamp terminal at the outer side of such inner plate, an electrically conductive switch lever at the inner side of the imier insulating plate and cooperative with the contact member at the inner side of such inner plate and projecting through said casing part to the outside of the casing for manual actuation, an electricall conductive pivot for the switch lever exten ing through the inner insulating plate and insulated from the end closure by the outer insulating plate, electrically conductive means connecting the pivot of the switch lever to one of the terminals of the battery, and other electrically conductive means connecting the electrically conductive casing part to the other terminal of the battery.

2. A portable electric light comprising a battery-containing casing having an electrically conductive casing part including a substantially flat end closure, inner and outer insulating plates'secured at the inside of the end closure, communicating openings being provided in the end closure and adjacent outer insulating plate, an electrically conductive lamp socket arranged to expose the central terminal of the lamp through said openings toward the inside of the casing, a contact member passing through the inner insulating plate for making contact with the rentral lamp terminal at the outer side of snrh inner plate, an electrically conduc- Ix; nvitch lever at the inner side of the inner insulating plate and cooperative with tbs contact member at the inner side of such in, .r plate and projecting through said casing part to the outside of the casing for manual actuation, an electrically conductive pivot for the switch lever extending'through the inner insulating plate and insulated from the end closure by the outer insul: in; plate, a binding post carried by and extnd ing through the inner insulating plate and projecting to the inside of the casing and insulated from the end closure of the cas ng by the outer insulating plate, an electrical conductor connecting the bind ng post and the pivot of the switch lever between the insulating plates, a second binding post car ried by the end closure of the casing and projecting through both insulating plates to the inside of the casing, and conductors connecting the respective binding posts to the respective battery terminals.

3. A portable electric light comprising a battery-containing casing having an electrically conductive casing part including a substantially flat end closure, inner and outer insulating plates secured at the inside of the end closure, communicating openings being provided in the end closure and adjacent outer insulating plate, an electrically conductive lamp socket arranged to expose the central terminal of the lamp through said openings toward the inside of the casing, a contact member passing through the inner insulating plate for making contact with the central lamp terminal at the outer 'side of such inner plate, an electrically conductive switch lever at the inner side of the inner insulating plate and cooperative with the contact member at the inner side of such inner plate and projecting through said casing part to the outside of the casing for manual actuation, insulation carried by the projecting portion of the switch lever for insulating the switch'lei'er from said casing part, an electrically conductive pivot for the switch lever extendingthrough the inner insulating plate andinsulated from the end closure by the outer insulating plate, a binding post carried by and extending through the inner insulating plate and projecting to the inside of the casing and insulated from the end closure of the casing by the outer insulating plate, an electrical conductor connecting the binding post and the-pivot of the switch lever between the insulating plates, a second binding post carried by the end closure of the casing and projecting.

through both insulating plates to the inside of the casing, an insulating cover strip held by the binding posts and covering the contact member and the inner end of the switch lever at the inside of the inner insulating plate, and flexible conductors connecting the respective binding posts to the respective battery terminals.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CONRAD HUBERT.

\Vitnesses HARRY C. LEWIS, FRANCES A. REICHENBERG. 

